Vacuum cleaner



March 24, 1942.

M. G. BURWELL VACUUM CLEANER Filed March 31, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet l March24, 1942. M, B'URWELL 2,277,069

VACUUM CLEANER Filed March 31, 1939 3 sheets-sheet 2 March 24, 1942. .GBURWELL VACUUM CLEANER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 31, 1959 ?atentedar. 24, 1942 This invention relates generally to vacuum cleaners and isparticularly directed to a cleaner for use in hotels, businessestablishments and oflice buildings or bycleaners of air conditioning,

systems. The primary object resides in the provision of a compactportable unit having a high cleaning capacity which is due to theemployment of a relatively large air filter.

Another object of the invention residesin the formation of a cleanerfrom which the soil may be removed without dismantling the machine orremoving'the filter therefrom. The filter is vibrated and the dirt fallsfrom the filter by gravity.

A further object resides in the employment of a conical fabric filterand means for supporting the filter to cause it to be arranged in aplurality of telescoped sections. This novel arrangement reduces thesize requirements of the casing and pro-'- vides a large area for thefiltering of the air passing through the cleaner. I

A still further object resides in the formation of. a cleaner havingmeans connected therewith whereby the device may be readily convertedfrom a vacuum machine to a blower without requiring the removal orsubstitution of additional parts. I

Other objects will be apparent from the following description and theaccompanying'drawings in which the invention has been illustrated in itspreferred form. r

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner formed in accordancewith the present invention;

Fig. 2 is-a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken through themachine shown in Fig. 1;.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the plane indicated bythe line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and shows the mechanism in a normal position;

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the mechanism in an adjusted positionto convert the cleaner into a blower;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the plane indicated bythe line 55 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 isa horizontal sectional view taken on the plane indicated by theline 66 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings,

through which the dirt enters'the cleaner. On the outside of the body, anipple 6 is provided for the purpose 'of attaching a. flexible hose tothe machine. The side wall- 2 is also provided at spaced intervals withbracket members I pr0ject ing inwardly and upwardly and terminating attheir upper ends in concentric filter supporting rings 8.

Extending over the bead 3 is the large end of a 'frusto-conical fabricfilter 9, the small end of which is closed as at it). The intermediateportion of the filter extends over the rings 8 and is forced downwardlytherebetween by tensioning rings ll. These rings have upwardly extending'bars secured thereto which engage compression springs T2. The closedend of the filter is held down in the casing 2 in the same manner as theintermediate portions.v This method of supporting the filter provides 'aplurality of concentrically arranged sections which are frusto-conicalinform and are connected to one another at their upper and lower ends.It also permits the use of a large filter in a comparatively smallcasing. The springs l2 engage the under surface of a top plate l3secured by screws I4 to the casing 2.

The concentric sections of the filter are held in spaced relationship bycylindricalspacers M which are formed of wire netting and are placed oneither side'of the bars which hold the tension rings l l in engagementwith the filter. The plate ll of an electric motor l8 mounted to theunder f side of the plate l3 by supporting straps [9. The externaldiameter of the impeller is slightly greater than the diameter of theopening and when the impeller'is rotated by the action of the thenumeral I designates the cleaner in its em I a pan-shaped receiver 5 inwhich the dirt gathered by the cleaner settles as the cleaner is beingused.

Immediately above the; enlargement 6, the side.

wall of the body 2 is formed with anopening motor, the vanes thereonwill withdraw air from the interior of the casing 2 through the opening15.

The air thus withdrawn will be replaced by air passing into the casingthrough the nipple 6. This air will be cleaned as it passes through thefilter and the'dirt thus removed will drop from the filter into thereceiver 5. The air discharged by the fan or impeller is thrown bycentrifugal force through peripheral openings 20 provided in adome-shaped cover 2| secured to the top late I3 by screws 22. Atthecenter of the cover, there is provided an upwardly directed tubularextension 23 through which air passes when the device is employed as a,blowing mechanism. Beyond the periphery of the cover 2|, the plate 13 isformed with circumferentially spaced openings 24 which are closed whenthe machine is' operated as a. cleanerby a valve ring 25. The lattermember has a pair of diametrically opposedwing sections which registerwith the openings 24 and v are provided with slots 26 through whichscrews 'ings 28 register with the openings 24, the openings 29 will beout of registration with those in the periphery of the cover member andthe air issuing from the fan will be prevented from passingtherethrough. This air must then find another outlet which will be theoutlet in the extension 23.

To prevent the, air from churning around in the cover when the openings20 are closed, a plurality of bafiles 30 are secured to the under sideof the cover and projecttoward the impeller. These baflies, bypreventing the air from churning within the cover, cause it to bedirected toward the outlet in the extension 23 and permit press them.After the flow of current to the 40 force is applied to the springs l2tending to commotor is discontinued,- the spring compressing force willbe interrupted and the springs permitted to expand. This suddenexpansion causes a vibration of the filter and any adhering dirt will beloosened and drop into the receiver 5. The operator may turn the motoronand off several times to increase the vibration of the filter to furtherloosen the dirt.

After the cleaning operation has been completed, the casing may bereleased from the receiver by the manipulaLion of the clips 3| employedin securing these elements and the re ceiver conveyed to a point wherethe soil maybe deposited. By providing the filter which is selfcleaning, it need not be removed from the casing since it will always bemaintained in a clean condition. This is especially desirable incleaners of this type.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that a vacuum cleaner has beenprovided which is compact, yetpossesses a large cleaning capacity andmay be readily converted from a cleaner into a blower without theemployment of tools or the removal of parts. The device is self cleaningand the soil may be removed therefrom without inconvenience or requiringthe removal of the en ire cleaner to the point whe1e the soil is to. bedeposited.

What is believed tobe new and it is desired to secure by, Letters Patentis set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1; Ina vacuum cleaner of the type having a casing formed with an airinlet, air filtering means comprising a. substantially conical fabricring-like members disposed in longitudinally spaced relation in saidcasing, said fabric element extending around said ring members to form aplurality of concentrically disposed frusto-conical sections, a pair ofcylindrical for-aminated members between certain adjoiningfrusto-conical sections, and means for maintaining the foraminatedmembers of said pairs in spaced relation.

2. In a vacuum cleaner of the type having a casing formed with an airinlet, air filtering means comprising a substantially conical fabricelement, means for securing the larger end of said element to saidcasing, a set of concentric ring members supported by said casingadjacent to the point of connection of said fabric element thereto,a'secondset of concentric ring members disposed in closer relationshipto the air inlet, means for resiliently maintaining the position of therings of said second set, said fabric element being trained around saidring members to form a plurality of nested frusto-conical sections, and

foraminated cylindrical spacer elements disposed in sets and cooperatingwith said resilient position maintaining means to prevent contactbetween adjoining sections of said fill-er when said cleaner is inoperation.

3. A vacuum cleaner of thetype having a vertically disposed cylindricalcasing having an inlet adjacent to the lower end and an outlet at theupper end'and motor driven means adjacent to the upper end for causingair to flow into the casing througlrthe inlet and out through'theoutlet, comprising filter means for the air having a frusto-conicalfabric element having its large end secured to the casing, means forforming and holding the element in a plurality of concentric upright andinverted frusto-conical sections, and a pair of re'iculated cylindricalspacer elements disposed in spaced order between each inverted sectionand the upright section disposed immediately inwardly thereof, thecylindrical elements of each pair being spaced.

4. A mechanism for converting a vacuum cleaner of the type having acasing formed with primary air inlet and outlets and a motor driven fanfor establishing aflow of air through said casing into' a blower,comprising secondary air inlet and outlets, and valve means normallyclosing the secondary air inlet, said valve means being movable to aposition to close the first air outlet and open the secondary air inlet.

5. A mechanism for converting a vacuum cleaner of the type having acasing formed with primary air inlet and outlets,"a' filter betweenwhereby air may enter said casing and flow from the secondary outletwithout passing through said filter. i

6. In a vacuum cleaner of the type having a casing formed with an airinlet, air filtering means comprising a substantially conical fabricelement, means for securing the larger end of said-,element to saidcasing, spacedsets of concentric ring-like members supported in saidcasing, said fabric element being trained around said members to producea plurality of oppositely arranged frustoconical sections disposed inconcentric relationship, and cylindrical spacer members positioned Ibetween certain of said frusto-conical sections to prevent contacttherebetween when the cleaner is in operation, said spacer membershaving double foraminated walls.

"7. In a vacuum cleaner of the type having a cylindrical casing with anair inlet, a cover with an air outlet, and a motor driven blower carriedby the cover, filter means comprising a conical fabric element securedat its larger end to the casing, a set of concentric ring memberssupported by said-caslngadjacent to said cover, the intermediate portionof said fabric element extending over said ring members, a second setvofring members engaging the fabric element between the ring members of thefirst set, bar means engaging the rings of said second set and extendingtoward said cover, compression springs. between the ends of saidbar'members and said cover, said springs serving to maintain the fabricelement taut at all times, and foraminated cylindrical memberspositioned on the inner and outer sides of said bars, said membersserving to maintain the adjacent folds of said fabricvelement in spacedrelation.

MAUREL G. BURWELL.

